Virtue: both to revel as to render
For, the gratitude she accepts, given in response to beholding her beauty, is to satisfy her longings; lest, her grace being grudged and ill-regarded, she flee, disdaining the throne upon which she would preside in the heart of her admirer, and the hope of his soul— that her presence might prevail in majesty— be woefully ill-sought. While, to work for her appetite without the one laboring ever perceiving such radiance as shines forth from her countenance in the joy of her satisfaction, is for the one who spends himself at the prospect of her delight to be starved of that envigorating power which her felicity works upon his strength; that is to say, it is to leave in darkness the eye of one which aims to please, left blindly bereft of the light by which he sees.
Yes, both the work which renders unto her that which she demands in the heart of her onlookers, as well as the celebration of her delight fulfilled and purely held in view, these both must be duly attended to and given their proper appointment in the heart of man. Yes, the fullness of Virtue must be reveled in as much as rendered service to; we must both know her filled and work out the fullness she wants in us. These are one body, inward and outward; let not man put asunder what God has united.
Praise the peace of the Son of God, whose virtue is perfect forever; who has fully satisfied, now satisfies, and satisfies for all time the Father's desire that the life he gives might be lived wholly in virtue. This he accomplished, the fullness of his life poured out to death on a cross, his virtuous blood given in love, as redemption for us who left and leave such virtue in want.
Even he whose body was raised from hades forever, and to whom all authority has been given forever;
who reigns even now for the fulfillment of all virtue on earth as in heaven;
who is now exalted on high above every power, whether virtuous or invirtuous, in all worlds and all ages;
who comes from on high to judge all: their works, their words, and their counsels, all things secret or seen, these by the virtuous standard of his love;
by the voice of whose Spirit we have risen to faithfully follow, this through faith in the testimony of his virtuous life;
whose body we now are as we abide faithfully in his virtuous love;
in whom and with whom our bodies will be raised forever, according to his faithfulness and virtue proclaimed;
who, through faith, now lives in us with virtuous power;
whose full virtue works for the love of virtue in us who believe;
as his Spirit longs for virtue in us, to know the fullness of his virtue in love without end, evermore.
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And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.
She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
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